Berea College to host world-renowned pianist Zhu Wang as the first Stephenson Memorial Concert of the school year

September 11, 2024

By Brooke Donley

BEREA, Ky. – Award-winning pianist Zhu Wang will perform at Berea College Sept. 12 as part of Berea College’s Stephenson Memorial Concert Series. The show will be at 8 p.m. in Berea College’s Phelps Stokes Chapel and is free and open to the public.

Praised by the New York Times as a “thoughtful, sensitive performer” who “balanced lyrical warmth and crisp clarity,” Wang started learning piano at the age of 5. A graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music and The Julliard School, Zhu is currently pursuing a master’s degree in music at The Julliard School. In 2020, Wang was awarded first prize in the 2020 Young Concert Artists Susan Wadsworth International Auditions and gold medalist at the 2024 New Orleans International Piano Competition. 

His Carnegie Hall debut made the New York Times “Best of Classical Music 2021” list. 

The Stephenson Memorial Concerts were founded in 1987 by Louis B. Stephenson Jr. and Edna M. Stephenson in memory of their daughter Nancy Anne, who passed away early in her childhood, and for their son, former Berea College President John B. Stephenson. The concerts reflect the interests of Nancy Anne and John, bringing the culture of many different places Berea College students.

Berea College Convocations—which include the Stephenson Concert Series—are designed as a supplement to each student’s class curriculum by contemporary issues and personalities into their curriculum. The breadth of convocations offered during a student’s academic career at Berea College provides a sampling of thoughts and personalities from a wide spectrum of academic fields and the performing arts.  

Since its inception, Berea College Convocations has made lectures and the performing arts available without charge both to Berea College students and to the public. Persons wishing to contribute to the endowment fund for Convocations are invited to contact the Development Office at (800) 457-9846.The Phelps Stokes Auditorium is accessible to persons with disabilities, assuring a pleasurable experience for all. Wheelchair access is available through the west entrance facing the art building. We kindly ask you to email us at convo@berea.edu or phone (859) 985-3965 to let us know ahead of time if you’re planning to attend an event and you have special needs. We can then reserve a space for wheelchair seating and, if applicable, a seat for a companion.